Let Me Be Your Hero
by RikkuElloneValentine
Summary: RikkuxVincent. Just read the fic; I suck at summaries.
1. The Phone Call

"Come on out, Rikku!" Tifa yelled.

"No!" The blonde replied from behind the bathroom door.

It was going to be her first day of school the next day, under her father's orders.

"_If you don't go to school, you'll never be a proper leader!" Her dad yelled at her._

"_I don't need damn school to teach me things!" She retorted. "Besides, who said I even _wanted_ to be leader of the Al Bhed in the first place!?"_

"_Your mother would be very disappointed in you,"_

_She bit her lip to keep from crying at the mention of her mom. "My mom's dead! What would she care?" She regretted the words that just came from her mouth. 'I'm sorry, mom. I didn't really mean it. I'm just frustrated at dad right now. Please forgive me?' That was her silent prayer she had sent to her mom. The sound of her father's footsteps going away was her answer that she had been forgiven._

All of AVALANCHE was in the room outside of the bathroom in the ShinRa manor. Including Vincent. Tifa sighed and turned to Vincent.

"Think you can get her to come out and show us her new school uniform?" Tifa asked. Vincent nodded and went up to the bathroom door, knocking on it.

"I said I'm not coming out!"

"Rikku, it's just me. They all left,"

Rikku snorted. "I'm a thief, Vincent. How _stupid_ do you think I am?"

Vincent shook his head.

'_**Host, try the doorknob. It isn't locked,'**_ Chaos told him. Vincent nodded and put his hand on the doorknob. But before he could turn it, Cid's voice bellowed behind him.

"Rikku, get yer ass out of th' bathroom or I'll have Vincent here rip the door off its' hinges!"

"No! This door was just fixed! If you have him do that, you gotta pay for the new door!" She yelled back.

Vincent shook his head once more and turned the doorknob, pushing it open. Rikku turned around and looked at Vincent in shock then to the people behind him. "H-How…?" She purposely trailed off once she saw Yuffie try and peek around him. She frowned, pulled him in and slammed the door shut. "How'd you know the door was unlocked?" She asked, still frowning.

Vincent smirked a bit, but it was hidden by the collar of his cloak. "Chaos,"

"How'd _he_ know it was unlocked?"

Vincent shrugged and looked at her uniform. The skirt was just as short as her normal one, only it was plaid with the colors red and black. The jacket was the same style. Underneath the jacket was just a white undershirt. Rikku shook her head.

"I am **NOT **going to school tomorrow, you know that, right?"

Vincent sighed. "Rikku, your father – "

"Who cares about my father? I'm not going!"

"I see that. But at least go one day, and if you don't like it, then you can drop out, okay?"

Rikku sighed, blowing a braid out from her face. "Alright."

"Now, the others really want to see your uniform, so c'mon."

The blonde groaned, which made Vincent chuckle a bit, and followed Vincent out of the bathroom.

___________________________________________

After her uniform was awed over, she plopped down on the couch, leaning her head back so she could see who all was behind her. "Okay, so who's all staying for dinner?"

"I can't. Shera's waitin' fer me, so I gotta go," Cid answered and headed for the door.

"I can't either. I promised Marlene and Denzel that Cloud, Barret and I would be back by six." Tifa said and followed after Cid.

"I don't have anything planned for tonight, so I guess I'm staying!" Yuffie smiled and sat down next to Rikku. The blonde smiled over at her and waved good-bye to the others as they left. "Dinner for three. That shouldn't be so hard to make, should it?" Rikku started to get up, but was stopped by Vincent, who put a hand on her shoulder and sat her back down. "No. I'll make dinner; you guys go and do whatever you want for the evening. Be back by seven, though."

Rikku smiled, pushed his hand off her shoulder and stood up.

"Thank you, Vincent," She wrapped her arms around his neck, having to stand on her tippy-toes to do so, and hugged him. She gave him a soft, but quick, kiss on the cheek before letting go of him. If Yuffie saw, she didn't quite care. And he if he was blushing, she didn't see it because her mind was whirling around. Yuffie's voice made her snap out of her thoughts.

"Aw! Now I wanna hug," She smiled and hugged Vincent also. Rikku giggled and headed toward the door, grabbing her sweatshirt and pulling it over her head. "Okay. Come on, Yuffs! I think it'd be really pretty tonight on Nibelhiem Mountains!"

"Coming!" She broke away from Vincent and followed Rikku outside.

___________________________________________

Vincent blinked and watched the girls go.

'_**Just watch, host. Rikku will come back in three, two one,'**_ Chaos told him. Sure enough, after Chaos said 'one', Rikku came back and went upstairs then came back down with her daggers. Vincent looked at curiously. "Can't be too prepared!" She said as she darted back out of the door.

'_How the hell do you know those kinds of things?'_ He asked Chaos.

'_**I just do.'**_

Vincent shook his head and went into the kitchen to start dinner.

___________________________________________

The two girls raced each other to the top, sometimes having to stop because of the monsters that attacked them. Rikku got to the top first and leaned forward, setting her hands on her knees, panting. "I made it first…!"

"I know. Hey, what time is it?" Yuffie asked.

Rikku shrugged and took out a mini cell phone-like thing and opened it, looking at the time. "It's 6:30,"

"That little clock is so cool!"

"I know! And look," she closed it and showed her the front of it. "It has a little penguin face on it!"

"Aw! It says 'Friends', too…It's one of those best friend charms where two best friends each have one, isn't it?"

Rikku nodded. "Yup!"

"Where's the other one? I mean, who has it?"

The blonde smiled and reached into her pocket, pulling out an exact replica of hers, only it said 'Best' on it instead of 'Friends'. "You do." She handed the clock to Yuffie.

"Seriously!? Thank you!" Yuffie smiled brightly and hugged Rikku tightly[OMG it rhymes xD]. Rikku hugged back just as tight.

"Hey, I have something to tell you, Rikku." Yuffie said.

The blonde tilted her head. "Yes?"

"Please don't get mad at me, 'cause I know you like him, too – "

Rikku giggled, interrupting her. "You like Vincent." She finished for Yuffie.

"Yeah. How'd you…?"

"I've known since I saw you tackle him down the first day I met AVALANCHE. He just barely took one step in and WHOOSH, you came and tackled him down, exclaiming 'Vincent!'. I'm sorry, but I just laugh so hard at that now-a-days." She smiled at the ninja.

Yuffie rubbed the back of her head nervously, smiling sheepishly. "I guess it was kinda obvious, huh?"

"Duh!"

Yuffie checked the time. "Omg! It's 6:50! Vincent is soo gonna kill us if we're late!"

"Funny how times flies when you're having so much fun, huh?"

Yuffie nodded. "Race ya again!"

"Alright! On your mark, get set, go!"

Both girls took off running back to the manor.

___________________________________________

Vincent looked up as he heard the front door shut and Rikku's and Yuffie's voices.

"Death Penalty is _heavy_!" That was Yuffie's voice.

"You actually got that away from him long enough to lift it?" And that was Rikku.

"Yeah! Haven't you?"

"No, just Cerberus."

"When was that?"

"When…well, I'll tell you later. Vincent's in the kitchen and probably heard our whole conversation." Rikku peeked into the kitchen and nodded. "Yup, I was right, he is."

Yuffie smacked her forehead. "Would've been nice to know that a bit earlier, huh?"

Rikku shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs. "And we weren't even one minute late, Vincent. See? Even thieves can be on time!" She smiled up at him. Vincent looked over at her and nodded. She frowned and turned him to where he was facing her.

"No cloak in the house, Vincent," Vincent blinked as she started undoing the buckles on his cloak. Once all the buckles were done, she removed it from his shoulders and walked out of the kitchen with it. Yuffie got up and followed, talking to her in a hushed whisper.

"You were mothering him," Yuffie said.

"So?"

"It also looked as if you two are dating. Are you?"

Rikku blushed and shook her head. "No. I just live here because I didn't have any other place to go and because he was kind enough to let me live here. We're not dating." _'No matter how much I wish we were…,'_ she added in her mind. _'Wait! Why'd I just think that? I don't – no, can't, wish that. Yuffie likes him, too, so I gotta think about her feelings, since we're best friends,'_

She hung up the cloak in the closet, cursing under her breath when it wouldn't stay on the hanger. "God damn – Vincent! I'm putting your cloak in your room since it won't stay on the hanger! 'Kay?" No response. Rikku shrugged and put it on his bed. She then went back downstairs to the kitchen. She went to rub her forehead with the back of her wrist, but found that she still had her uniform on. "Sh – Be right back! I gotta go change out this uniform!" She darted back upstairs, her door slamming behind her once she reached her room. She searched around for something to put on – her room was such a mess! She found a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt that read, 'WARNING: Dangerously Hyper'. She _loved_ that shirt. She quickly put on the jeans and T-shirt and went back downstairs.

"Okay! Done!"

Vincent looked up. "Right on time, Rikku,"

"And once again, I'm not late!"

Yuffie giggled.

Rikku looked over at her. "What?"

"Your shirt,"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"It's funny."

"Thank you."

Yuffie looked up at Vincent. "Did you see her shirt?"  
Vincent shook his head.

"Then read it!"

Vincent turned around and read over Rikku's shirt, letting out a low chuckle after he finished. "Dinner's ready," He placed a plate in front of Yuffie and one in front of Rikku then placed one down for himself and sat down. _Ring ring_. Now who would be calling at dinner time? "I'll get it!" Yuffie said as she jumped up out of her chair and picked up the phone. After a few moments, Yuffie turned to Rikku. "It's for you." The blonde blinked and took the phone, walking out of the kitchen. Vincent looked up at Yuffie. "Who was it?" He asked.

Yuffie shrugged. "Her father's assistant or something."

___________________________________________

"H-He's what?!" Rikku whisper-shouted into the phone.

"**I'm sorry, miss Highwind, but we found him on the floor near his desk dead." **

Rikku fought back the tears. "A-Alright. Is there a date yet for his funeral…?"

"**If you want a funeral for him, you'll have to make the arrangements, since you're now the leader,"**

"I don't – no, can't – be the leader! Find someone to substitute me until I can, okay?"

"**Anyone in particular you'd like to take over?"**

"Gippal's mom, Christine."

"**Alright. We'll have her put on the throne until you're ready to take it yourself," **

"Thank you, Leah." She hung up the phone and walked back into the kitchen.

"Who was that?" Yuffie asked.

"Leah, my dad's intern, organizer; whatever you wanna call her. She helped him with events and stuff."

"Why'd she call?"

She fought back more tears and took a deep, shaky, breath. "She called to inform me that…my father's. . .dead." She heard her voice break as she said the last word. Not wanting to cry in front of them, the blonde ran up to her room, shutting the door behind her. Yuffie blinked and looked over at Vincent. ". . .We need Tifa."

___________________________________________

**A/N – **Okay, so end of chapter one of my new FanFic! I think I might've confused some of you with the time period, correct? Well, this takes place a month after my other one, Face Down, Gippal, [since this is the sequel]. Rikku has already had her abortion. Aand I think that should clear things up, no?[: R&R!


	2. I've Resigned,

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _Tifa stood outside of Rikku's door, patiently waiting. After a moment, a puffy and red-eyed blonde opened the door. "Tifa!" she exclaimed. She opened the door for the brunette and shut it after wards.

"Tell me, Rikku, why are you crying?" Tifa tilted her head, sitting on the bed.

Rikku sat down next to her. "I got a call from Leah – my dad's assistant – and she told me that they found my father in his office…dead."

"Oh, honey," The brunette hugged Rikku tightly, rocking her slightly. She continued doing it until Rikku quieted down.

"You're probably the closest thing I have to a mother, but you're my best friend, too." Rikku said.

"I hope you don't mind me asking this, but what happened to your mom?"

"She got killed in a machina rampage."

"Oh." Rikku nodded. "I also have another question,"

"Okay. Shoot." Rikku pulled away and wiped the left over tears from her eyes.

"Was your father found dead by a gun, knife, or what?"

"Gun."

"And so was Gippal, right?"

"Yeah."

"And he said that the people who came were Bevelle but didn't look like Bevelle?"

"Correct. He said they were in black suits…when he said that, I instantly thought of the Turks. Then, when we went up to my dad, he proved my theory right."

Tifa shook her head. "SinRa's up to something again,"

"Brother's missing, too."

"What?"

"Brother. He's been missing for half a month now."

"Wow."

Rikku nodded. "Should we go tell Vincent and Yuffie our theory? About ShinRa?"

"Are you okay to go down there?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go."

Both of the girls stood up and headed down stairs.

___________________________________________

"So, you think ShinRa has something to do with all this?" Vincent asked.

Rikku nodded. "They also have Brother," She frowned and shook her head, gritting her teeth. "I _will _get Brother back!"

"I'm right here, Rikku." Rikku turned around, blinking as she saw Brother standing right there.

"Spoke too soon, huh?" Yuffie said.

"Wait," She pointed to Brother. "He's an imposter."

Tifa tilted her head. "How can you tell?"

"I'm not an imposter!" 'Brother' said.

"Brother can't speak English very well. Plus, he has an accent and stutters when he's not speaking the Al Bhed language."

"…I've improved?" Rikku laughed and circled Brother's imposter.

"Say something so I can see exactly who you are."

"I told you, I'm not an imposter!" He set his hands on her shoulders. "You gotta believe me!"

Rikku stopped and blinked, something shiny on his belt catching her eye. She smiled and hugged Brother. "Alright. I believe you," _'Now, where's your damned gun, Logos?' _"Welcome back…" She found his gun and took it out of it's holster. "Logos!" She pointed the gun at him. Logos chuckled and changed to his normal appearance, holding his hands up.

"You're smarter than I thought, Blondie."

"Yeah, well, Brother's my brother so I should know him better than anyone else. Where are LeBlanc and Ormi?"

Logos shrugged. "No clue."

Rikku lowered the gun and tilted her head. "They didn't send you?"

"Nope."

"Then who did?" _'Do I really want to know the answer?'_

"ShinRa." _'Nope.'_

She tossed his gun back to him. "Right. You're free, now."

"You're not going to kill me?"

"Hah! Considering how many times you've lost to the Gullwings, you're better off free."

"You only beat me 'cause you had back-up!"

"Mhm. Your point?"

"You can't beat me alone." Logos leaned down to her face, locking eyes with her, ignoring Vincent's defensive step forward.

Rikku narrowed her eyes. "Can too."

"Prove it."

"Alright." She turned to her friends. "You all might want to step back or something." She smiled innocently over at Vincent, who was giving a death glare to Logos. "Yoo-hoo! Earth to Vincent Valentine!" Vincent turned his gaze to Rikku, his death glare disappearing. "I'll be fine. Go stand next to Yuffie, 'kay?" Vincent nodded and stood where he was told. Rikku turned to Logos, clasping her hands behind her back. "So, who goes first?"

"How about you go first?" Logos smirked.

"Alright!" Rikku looked through her dresspheres and chose her Warrior one. A bright light filled the room as she was changed into her Warrior dressphere. "Thunder Blade!" She swung her sword down, hitting Logos with a powerful thunder hit. She giggled, getting in her battle position. "Your turn."

___________________________________________

"Give up yet?" Rikku asked, now in her Strongstress dressphere.

"Not..a…chance!" Logos breathed, standing up.

Rikku sighed. "Alright." She changed to her Dark Knight dressphere and poisoned Logos. His next attack was one that surprised her completely. He used Thunder Materia on her! She fell backwards from the blow. She groaned and rubbed her head. "What the heck…you know how to use materia?!"

Logos smiled and nodded. "Yup."

"Cheater!"

"Nope."

Rikku quickly got up and petrified him then changed to her Samurai dressphere, using Zantetsu on Logos, which half-killed him.

"Okay, okay! I give in! You _can_ defeat me alone."

She smiled and set her Samurai sword on her shoulder, setting a hand on her hip. _'I bet I look a lot like Auron now…,' _"Glad to hear that. Would you like to be healed now?"

"Yes, please." Logos held his hand out for some potions. Rikku handed him two Hi-Potions. "Now get outta here."

"Yes ma'm." After Logos was gone, Rikku plopped down on the couch, letting out a sigh.

"I'm so…tired now. . ." She laid down on the couch, closing her eyes.

"I guess I'll be heading home now," Tifa said.

"Me too. Bye Vincent." Yuffie waved, following after Tifa. He waved back and brushed a braid from Rikku's face. He picked her up and headed up to her room, setting her on her bed. She stirred slightly when she was set down. He looked briefly looked around her room, her notepad catching his eye. He picked it up and looked at the half finished picture of her, Yuffie and Tifa. He smiled and set it back down, walking out of her room.

___________________________________________

"_Rikku? Rikku, darling, come here."_

_Rikku turned around, her eyes widening as she saw her mother standing behind her. Suddenly, she was five again. "Momma?"_

"_Yes, sweetie. Come here, please."_

_She obeyed and went to her mom, confused. 'Catrina's her name, right?' She thought as Catrina hugged her._

"_Sweetie," she said. "something's bad going to happen."_

"_What's gonna happen, momma?" _

"_Just…something bad."_

"_If you're not going to tell me what's going to happen, then why'd you tell me that something is going to happen?"_

"_So you can be prepared." She released Rikku. "My, my, you've grown!"_

_Rikku looked down at herself, now back in her 17-year-old body. She looked back up at her mother and smiled, nodding. "Yup."_

"_And I understand that you've got a crush?" Rikku blushed a bit and nodded. "I wanna know more about this guy. Start keeping a journal and write in it for me, okay?"_

"_But can't you see me from where you are?"_

_Catrina shook her head. "I can't always be watching you, y'know."_

_Rikku nodded. "Alright. I will. But, can you at least give me a clue on what's going to happen?"_

_Catrina sighed and nodded. "You know Vincent's story, correct? About how he got experimented on?" Rikku nodded. "Experiments like that will be happening again. That's all I can say."_

_Rikku nodded again, her expression saddening. "I miss you, momma."_

"_I miss you, too. But just know, whenever you need me, I'll be right in here." She pointed to her heart. She hugged her mother, holding back tears. Catrina started disappearing. "No! Don't go!" Rikku reached out for her._

"_I have to. I love you."_

"_I love you, too, momma." By the time she said that, her mom was already gone and she could feel something cold and metal in her grasp…_

___________________________________________

5:45 pm, the clock read. Vincent blinked, wondering why Rikku hadn't woke up yet. _'Is she really _that_ tired?' _He closed the book he was reading and got up, heading upstairs. He opened the door to her room a bit, peeking in. Not being able to see much, he opened the door all the way. She was still asleep. He shook his head, walking up to her bed, and brushed a few strands of her hair from her face, then turned to leave. He heard Rikku say, "No! Don't go!" and felt his metal hand being grasped. He turned, looking at where her hand grasped his. He then looked back at her, who was starting to wake up. He waited until she was fully awake to look at her face. She sat up, not aware that she was still holding his metal hand. Vincent cleared his throat.

"Hm?" Rikku looked over at him then down at her hand. "Oh! Sorry," she let go of his hand, blushing a bit.

"It's okay. You were having another dream, correct?" Rikku nodded. "Mind telling me what of?"

She nodded again. "My mom; I saw her. When I did, I was suddenly five again. She told me that something bad was going to happen. She changed the subject to me and how I've grown then told me to keep a journal. I changed the subject back to what she said about something bad happening, asking if I could at least have a clue. She said that experiments will start happening again…"

"Ah," Vincent blinked and tilted his head. "Why'd she want you to keep a journal?"

She laughed nervously. "So she can know what's going on since she can't be watching me all the time."

Vincent nodded. "Do you already have one or do you need one?"

"I have one," she looked around her room. "…somewhere."

Vincent chuckled and walked out of the room.

___________________________________________

Once Vincent left, Rikku jumped out of her bed and started rummaging through her room for her journal. "Aha! Found it." She picked it up, got the pen out from her bag, sat down on her bed and started to write;

_Dear Mom,_

_I'm doing just as you said; writing in a journal. Where would you like me to start? I'll probably skip the beating part for now; the sorrow is still fresh. Hmm…oh! I have two new best friends; Tifa and Yuffie. Though Tifa's more like a mom to me…heh. Cloud's just quiet. Cid is a potty mouth. Barret is fun. Marlene, Barret's adopted daughter, is a sweet little girl. Denzel, a boy Cloud and Tifa are looking after, is adventurous. Yuna and Tidus got married and had a kid named Lorrenne! She's sweet, too. Vincent is a quiet guy, but he's starting to open up. He laughs more often now. I met him during my machina searching; after the Gullwings split up for a while. I think that's when I first got a crush on him; he's soo handsome. Yuffie has a crush on him, too, so I gotta think about her feelings, too. That's all I can really think of right now. Love you and miss you, mom!_

_Love,_

_Rikku._

She closed her journal and looked around, seeing that there was nothing to do. She got up and walked out of her room, heading downstairs. There, she found Vincent on the couch, reading. Quieter than a mouse, she walked into the kitchen and got something to eat and drink. She then made her way back upstairs. She sat on her bed and munched on one of the cookies she grabbed, getting out her notepad and pen, deciding that she'd finish her drawing. She drew for almost an hour, trying to make it somewhat perfect. After it was done, she held it up and admired it, smiling. She neatly tore it out and hung it up on her wall. She then looked over at the clock. "6:30. Hm…I think I have time to draw one more." She turned to a new page and started to draw her mom, that drawing taking another half hour. She hung the drawing up, too, right next to the one of her, Yuffie and Tifa. She smiled and went back downstairs, seeing Vincent still reading his book. She laughed a bit, set her dishes in the sink and snuck up behind Vincent. _'Just like I did with Tidus. Three, two, one; scare!' _She jumped up and set her hands on Vincent's shoulders, smiling. She then frowned as she saw that Vincent didn't jump. He just simply looked up at her. "Need anything?" he asked.

Rikku pouted a bit and crossed her arms. "I didn't scare you?"

"Nope."

"Dangit!"

Vincent chuckled and closed his book. "What have you been doing the past three hours?"

"I wrote in my journal like my mom said to, finished the picture I started to draw of me, Yuffie and Tifa, and drew another picture, only it was of my mom."

"You have school tomorrow," Vincent stated.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Rikku rolled her eyes.

"It'll help if you go tomorrow. With yours and Tifa's theory about ShinRa, you could figure out more by going."

"How do I do that? Go around asking the teachers what ShinRa's up to? I have a pretty good idea, anyway. Hey, can I go over to the Al Bhed HOME tonight? I want to see if my dad had a will or something…"

"Sure. But how are you going to get there? Cid'll be all grumpy if you call him and ask."

She smiled. "Which is why there's Cloud and Fenrir."

___________________________________________

"Please, Cloud? I really want to see if my dad has a will and if I'm on it at all!"

"Can't you do it tomorrow?" Cloud asked.

"I have school."

"After school?"

"Too early."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that if I go after school, everyone will be out and about and if I just suddenly show up, they'll go all Pity the Parent-less Teenager on me; saying, 'I'm so sorry for all your losses!' and stuff like that. If I go at nighttime, then everyone will be in their homes and I won't have that problem. See the difference?"

Cloud sighed and nodded. "Alright. Do you know how to work a motorcycle?"

"Yeah! They can't be any different than the hovers."

"Okay. One scratch on her and you'll have my sword up your bum, alright?"

Rikku laughed and nodded. "Okay, okay! But that brings me to a good question; you've fought Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo on this thing, so how come there's not a scratch on it?"

Cloud blinked and shrugged. "No clue. But that _is_ a good question."

Rikku nodded again. "Vincent's coming with me, too."

"Then let him drive! I trust him more than you."

"What?!" Rikku frowned.

"You're a thief; you never know when you're in the 'mood' to steal something."

"True, true. You never can really trust thieves," She sighed. "Fine."

Rikku got on Fenrir after Vincent and wrapped her arms around his waist so she wouldn't fall off.

___________________________________________

Vincent stopped Fenrir in front of HOME. Rikku got off and ran towards the base, stopping once she saw that Vincent wasn't following her. "Come on!" She grabbed his wrist and pulled him along. Gippal's mom was waiting at the door for them.

"About time!" She said.

"What?" Rikku asked, her head tilted.

"You got my call, didn't you?"

"You…called?"

"I'll take that as a, 'No, I did not get your call because I was too busy fooling around with the red cloaked guy,'"

Rikku let go of Vincent's hand, her jaw dropping. "WHAT?!"

Gippal's mom just shook her head. "Never mind that. There's a question I've been wanting to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Why'd you choose me to be the leader?"

"Because you were like a mom to me when I was younger. And because I trust you more."

"Okay. Well, I can't do it. I just can't. So, you're now the leader. I've resigned."


	3. New Turk?

"No, no, no! Christine, you can't resign! I'm not ready to be the leader!" Rikku protested, her voice slightly whiney.

"I'm sorry, but I can't handle the responsibility." Christine answered.

Rikku gave up a groaned turning away. "Fine! As the leader I have the right to ban you from our race," she smirked, peeking back at Christine, who had frozen in place.

"You wouldn't!"

"I can, would and probably should."

"Please don't!"

Rikku turned back to Christine. "Then keep my place 'till I find Brother, okay?"

Christine had obviously been holding her breath because she exhaled, paused and nodded. "Alright."

"Thank you." The blonde nodded, smiled and walked beside Vincent towards HOME. "I think I might like being the leader of the Al Bhed." She half-whispered to him.

"Don't go crazy with power," He reminded her.

"Oh, right. The people that go crazy with power always end up hurting their friends or family, maybe both, huh?"

Vincent nodded and started walking up the stairs to her father's office.

"Junk. Junk. Jun – oh!" Rikku looked at the paper she just found, her jaw dropping. "Vincent, I found it!" Vincent walked over to her, looking at the will over her shoulder. After a while, Rikku frowned. "Figures that I'm not in it," she mumbled, throwing the will back on the desk.

"Why?" Vincent asked.

"I was never here during my teenage years – always traveling somewhere or guarding someone. I only saw him twice while with Yuna; the last time I saw him before the attack here was when saved his butt from that monster in the Thunder Plains. After that, I didn't contact him and he didn't contact me, so I pretty much wasn't in his life like he wasn't in my childhood." She pursed her lips and folded her arms.

Vincent nodded. "Well, we found what we were looking for, so let's go." He made his way to the door, Rikku trailing after.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -R- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

'_Sweetie, something's bad going to happen.'_

'_Experiments like that will be happening again. That's all I can say.'_

Rikku shot up from her bed, now fully awake. She couldn't sleep with her mom's future-telling words in her head. She frowned and threw the covers off, not caring about the sudden coldness that washed over her, but she had made a promise to herself; she _**would**_ find her brother, no matter what the consequences were. She got out a pen and paper and wrote a note to Vincent, explaining where she was going and why. She set it on her night stand and got up, quickly and quietly getting dressed. She packed her back pack with the necessary things, including a pen, her journal and her sketch pad just in case she got bored. She opened her window and jumped out, landing quietly on the ground below. But, apparently, someone had been waiting for her down there, for she felt a hand cover her mouth a being dragged away. _'Second time!' _she thought bitterly to herself. _'Am I really _that _wanted?'_ She stayed quiet while being thrown into a car and driven somewhere. Why she was so calm was beyond her. She once asked where they were taking her but got no answer, so she just sorted through her thoughts on the ride. She jumped once one of the men spoke,

"You seem awfully calm," he said.

"Yup." She answered.

"Why?"

She shrugged. "Dunno. Do I need to have a reason?"

"No, not really. . ."

"Then there ya go."

"Do you know someone – a scientist, to be exact – by the name of Hojo?"

She shook her head, though they probably didn't see it. "No. I've only heard of him."

"Since you're a beautiful lady," she scowled at that. "we'll warn you that he loves to experiment and is very clever."

"Thank you for the warning. Any other un-helpful and obvious things you wish to tell me?"

She heard a scowl from the driver and the guy in the passenger try to calm him down and smiled to herself.

"Tell me how long this ride will be so I know whether or not to go to sleep."

"Approximately half an hour. Go ahead and go to sleep, we'll wake you up." The guy in the passenger seat said.

"Alright." And with that, she let her sleepiness take over.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -V- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Vincent burst through the doors of Seventh Heaven, looking quiet angry. Tifa looked up at him, concern and curiosity in her eyes.

"Vincent? Is something wrong?" She asked, setting down whatever she was holding.

"She's gone." Was his simple answer.

"Gosh, Vinnie, you're awfully loud!" Yuffie came down, rubbing her eyes. "Who's gone?" Both Yuffie and Tifa asked in unison.

"Rikku."

Tifa's mouth dropped and Yuffie's eyes nearly shot out of her head.

"She's. . .she's. . .what?!"

"Rikku. She's gone." Vincent stepped over to the bar, gripping it. "Tifa, we have to find her."

"Did she leave a note?" Vincent handed her the note that was on Rikku's night stand. Yuffie rushed over to Tifa's side to read it with her. After reading it, Tifa's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my. . . Vincent, we can't go get her. She said to at least give her 'till her birthday."

"We have to go get her! She has no clue who she's up against!" He slammed his fist down on the bar, leaving a dent. All the customers looked up, curious and worried. Tifa led both Yuffie and Vincent to the back room. She set a hand on Vincent's arm comfortingly.

"Have faith in her. Obviously, she's saying she doesn't need the protection you give her. At least wait until the said date, okay?"

Vincent closed his eyes and stayed quiet, trying to calm down. After a few moments, he nodded. Once he opened his eyes, Yuffie was gone. "Where'd Yuffie go . . .?"

"She went to calm down, too. . .I think."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -R- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hey, sarcastic blonde! Wake up!" Who was _that_? Oh yeah, one of the men. The blonde groaned and opened her eyes, closing them again when she saw the bright light.

"Gahh, that's bright. Where am I?" She attempted to open her eyes again. When she did, she saw a male with black hair and glasses leaning over her.

"Rikku Highwind?" He questioned.

"Yes. Hojo. . . something?" She questioned back.

"I don't have a last name, thank you very much. And you will now be working for me."

". . .Alright. But I have a few questions first." Now she was sitting up, taking in her surroundings.

"Yes?"

"First, are you going to impregnate me like you did with that brunette assistant that you had? Oh, what was her name? Lucy or something?. . ."

"Her name was Lucrecia Cresent and no, I won't do that."

"Good. Second," She turned her gaze to Hojo, her eyes narrowed. "where's my brother?"

"What's his name?"

". . .Brother."

"He was quite useless to me so I let Reno and Rude drop him off."

"'_Drop him off'_? Drop him off where?"

"Not anywhere safe. Don't worry your little head off about him, he'll be fine."

"Fine? FINE!? Oh, sure, he'll be just fine with no food and water. Especially when he can't speak English very well and there are monsters that are ready to eat him! Yup, he'll be just fine." She rolled her eyes and grabbed his collar, pulling him towards herself. "You tell this Reno and Rude to get back into their helicopter and find my brother _now_ or you will have something **red** and _pointy_ up your bum. Got it?" Before Hojo even knew what was happening, he felt something against his throat; something sharp. Her teeth were gritted and her eyes flared with anger. He chuckled and backed out of her grip.

"Reno! Rude! We've got a good one." He yelled.

"Good one? What the hell are you talking about, old man?" Just then, two men came in; one with red hair and red marks on his cheeks and another that was bald and wore sunglasses. She let go of Hojo and turned to the men that had just entered.

"Who are _you_?"

"Make sure she remembers nothing of her past friends."

The men nodded and towed Rikku away. The red head leaned over to her and whispered;

"You're going to love being in the Turks. I know I do."

* * *

**A/N - **Sorry it took so long to update! My computer stopped working and so I had to go on my dad's. &This chapter's a little shorter. Sorry v.v;


	4. Trip To Tifa's Bar

**A/N** – Okay. I have skipped forward in this FanFic. It is now two months after Reno told Rikku that she'd love being a Turk. AVALANCHE hasn't heard from her that whole time. Enjoy!

- - - - - - - - R- - - - - - - -

'_Make sure she remembers nothing of her past friends.'_

'_You'll love being in the Turks. I know I do.'_

Those words were the only thing Rikku remembered from two months ago. But, what did Hojo mean by 'past friends'? She had none except for the Turks. She had tried to remember farther back, but couldn't. She once confronted Hojo about it, but he just shrugged and said that she must have been imagining those words. And she believed him.

"Rikku, the other Turks and I are going out for a drink. Would you like to come?" Elena's voice broke her pondering.

"Sure," she replied. "Just give me a few minutes."

Elena nodded and walked out. Rikku walked over to her dresser and pulled out her daggers. She had a gun, too, but she rarely used it even though a gun was Turks' most valued weapon. This blonde preferred her daggers. She but them in the slots of her belt and walked out to join Elena, Rude, Reno and Tseng.

- - - - - - - - - - V- - - - - - - - - -

It had been two months since he last saw Rikku. _Two months_. And both of those months were **hell**. There wasn't a day that went by where he didn't miss her; her childish voice, her hyper and outgoing personality, her stubbornness. . .All of it. A knock on the door disrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," He grumbled. Looking up he saw the figure of Yuffie in front of him.

"Hey, Vince, just wondering if you'd like to go out with me?" Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Oh, no, no, no! Not like _that_. I meant out to a bar or something."

Vincent let his eyebrow drop and nodded, standing up. "Any where in particular?"

"Tifa's bar." She answered with a smirk. Vincent knew that smirk; she was up to something. But what?

- - - - - - - - - -R- - - - - - - - -

"Seventh Heaven," Rikku breathed. "How come I've never heard of or been to this place before?"

Reno shrugged. "It was too popular back then but the popularity of it has died down."

"I thought you liked bars that were popular?" Rikku questioned.

Reno put an arm over her shoulders, starting to walk. "Well, we have you as a new Turk. We want to keep you unknown. Like a secret weapon."

She scowled and pushed his arm off of his shoulders. "Yeah, right." She headed towards the entrance but Elena stopped her, pointing to a sign that said 'No Weapons, Please.' "Oh." She took out her daggers and set them behind a few stray boxes, making sure they were fully hidden. Her gun, however, stayed with her. No one even knew she had it. After her daggers were put away, she followed Elena, Rude and Reno into the bar.

- - - - - - - - - - V- - - - - - - - - -

"Yuffie, why'd you take – " Yuffie turned Vincent's head towards the entrance as Elena, Rude and Reno walked in. A few moments after, another blonde strode in, her face more serious. Vincent opened his mouth to call to Rikku, but his mouth was covered by Yuffie's hand.

"Shhh," she told him. "She doesn't remember you. She doesn't remember any of us."

"What?" Vincent's voice was muffled by Yuffie's hand.

"C'mere." She led him upstairs. Once they were in a room, Yuffie explained Rikku's situation to Vincent. "Two months ago, when she went to go find her brother, Hojo got a hold of her. Without knowing it, she showed how good she could be at threatening and fighting. Hojo had her memory erased and put her in the Turks. She's made to believe that Tseng is her brother and Rufus is her uncle. . .or something like that. She is not herself, Vincent. She isn't the hyperactive, blonde thief we all knew. She's someone like you; showing no emotions whatsoever."

Vincent blinked, letting the information sink in. _'Someone like me. . .like who I used to be. And I let it happen.'_

'_**Good job, Valentine. Another sin to add to your list.' **_Chaos taunted. He shook his head and looked back at Yuffie. "Is there any way to reverse her memory loss?"

"Only if she hits her head or gets embraced by someone she knew."

Vincent nodded. "Yuffie, how is it that you know all of this?"

"I'm thief _and_ a ninja, Vince. I have both my ways and resources. But I'm running the bar today so I have to go back downstairs." Yuffie descended the stairs, Vincent trailing after.

- - - - - - - - - -R- - - - - - - - -

Reno looked up as a deep brunette came towards them. The female smiled lightly at all of them. "Anything in particular you guys would like today?" Reno smiled back at her.

"Well, if it isn't Yuffie Kisaragi. Where's Teef? Isn't she usually running the bar?"

"I'm sorry, but she could not make it today."

"Right. Well, Yuffie, I'll introduce you to our newest member." Reno got up and stood behind Rikku's chair, placing his hands on her shoulders. "This is the newest member of the Turks, Rikku. She's Tseng's little sister."

The waitress named Yuffie tilted her head. "Tseng's little sister? I never knew he had a sister."

Rikku nodded. "Yeah. I don't think anyone ever knew 'cause he never told anyone about me." She shrugged Reno's hand off of her shoulders. "And don't touch me, Reno. Or must you be reminded of the last time you made that mistake?"

Reno backed away and sat in his seat. "No, no, no. I don't need to be reminded of that. See? Not touching you anymore!"

"I'm sorry to rush you guys," Yuffie broke in. "but I have other customers to get to."

"Oh, right! Sorry. I'll have some beer." Reno said.

"Nothing for me and Rikku," Elena stated. "And Rude doesn't drink much, so none for him, either."

Yuffie nodded. "Alright." And with that, she walked to the bar.

- - - - - - - - - -V- - - - - - - - - -

"See? I told you she isn't herself anymore." Yuffie said as she got Reno's beer ready.

"I suppose you are right. . ."

"I'll invite her over here so you can talk to her. I have a plan to get her back." Before Vincent could protest, Yuffie was already taking Reno's beer to him.

- - - - - - - - - -R- - - - - - - - -

"Here you are, Reno." Yuffie handed him his beer.

"Thank you." He took it and downed it. "But you should've known better to bring me just one."

"Well, you haven't been here in such a long time I forgot," Yuffie turned to Rikku. "Could you come help me get his beer? I can't carry all those cups."

Rikku nodded. "Sure." She got up and followed after Yuffie.

"Go ahead and sit next to Vincent while I fill the cups." Rikku nodded again and did as she was told. Yuffie glanced over at Vincent and nodded. The gunman turned to the blonde beside him. But before he could speak, she asked,

"What is your name?"

"Vincent Valentine," He answered. "Yours?"

"Rikku." A moment's silence. "You seem familiar. . have I met you before?"

Vincent shook his head. "I do not think so."

Behind them, Reno was glaring at Vincent. Elena hit his shoulder. "Stop that. I doubt he'll try anything. The way he used to love her, he won't dare knock her head into something. But Yuffie might. So you should be watching _her_, not _him_."

"Rikku," Yuffie interrupted. "ready to help me carry the cups?"

Rikku nodded and grabbed some cups, walking towards the table where her fellow Turks were sitting at. She set the cups in front of Reno. "Thank you, ladies." Reno said as he started to down the cups of beer.

Rikku shook her head. "He'll be so drunk after this I don't think I'd want to be around him."

"You could come shopping with me and Vincent if you'd like," Elena shot Yuffie a fierce look. "Elena could even come he she wants to." Yuffie quickly amended. Rikku smiled and nodded.

"Alright. We will. Where would you like to meet?"

"Midgar Mall."

"Sounds good." Elena and Rikku said in unison.

* * *

**A/N - **Short, I know and I'm sorry. But I hoped you enjoyed it! ^^;


	5. A Door, Vincent's Shoe and the Ground

**A/N** – This chapter's gonna be pretty short. Sorry~! But it leads to a really long chapter, if that helps :3

* * *

"They're late," Rikku said, frowning.

"Speak of them and they shall come." Elena muttered, spotting Yuffie coming towards them, pulling Vincent along behind her.

Yuffie gave them an apologetic smile. "Sorry if we're late. Vince was reluctant to come."

Rikku nodded. "It's alright. Shall we go in?"

"Of course!" Yuffie ran inside, still pulling Vincent along.

Rikku held back a giggle; Vincent looked so confused and dumb-founded. But Turks weren't really supposed to giggle, so she kept quiet and followed after Yuffie, Elena trailing after her.

- - - - - - - - - -V- - - - - - - - - -

'_Why'd I agree to this?'_ Vincent thought, standing outside of one of the stores in the mall.

'_**Because you're dumb. Since everyone's in the store, you could sneak away.' **_Chaos answered.

'_Yeah, everyone _but_ Rikku.' _Vincent turned his gaze to the entrance of the store just as Yuffie and Elena were exiting. Yuffie came up to him and smiled.

"Hey, Vince, we're going over to Yuna's for a while, okay?" Vincent nodded.

"Why don't you come with us?" Elena asked.

Vincent mentally groaned and followed them.

- - - - - - - - - -R- - - - - - - - -

"So, who's Yuna?" Rikku whispered to Elena.

"Yuffie's cousin."

"Ah." Rikku nodded.

Once at the house, Rikku blinked, swearing that she had been here before. Yuffie opened the door for Rikku, smiling kindly. Rikku nodded her thanks to Yuffie and stepped in. As she stepped in, she heard a, "Auntie Rikku!" and, before she knew it, she falling down. She hit her head on the door, Vincent's metal shoe and then the ground. Everything in her sight went black.

* * *

**A/N - **How about I upload two chapters this week to make up for this short chapter? Would that get me off the hook? R&R please!


	6. Rikku Sees Dead People

"Oh, gawd. Oh, gawd. I killed Auntie Rikku!" Cried Lorrenne. Tifa laughed and softly rubbed Lorrenne's back.

"No you didn't, sweetie. She's just sleeping, that's all."

Lorrenne looked up at the brunette. "Really?"

Tifa nodded. "Really."

Lorrenne sniffled and smiled. "Okay."

- - - - - - - - -R- - - - - - - - -

The blonde squinted through the bright light in front of her. Once it dimmed, she blinked. Right in front of her were three women; her mom, and two brunettes. "I see dead people," she muttered, recognizing the two brunettes from descriptions and pictures. The brunette with the lab coat was Lucrecia; Vincent's lost love. And the brunette in the pink dress was Aerith; Cloud's 'girlfriend'. Her mom walked up to her and embraced her.

"No, sweetie, you're not seeing dead people."

Rikku pulled away from her mom. "Yes, I am! Lucrecia's supposed to be in a crystal thingy and Aerith was killed by Sephiroth! How can you say that I'm not seeing dead people!?"

Aerith giggled, Lucrecia smiled and her mom laughed. Lucrecia walked up to her as her mom stepped back.

"I'm quite surprised that you remember my name." Rikku blinked and stared at her, not saying anything. "Come; let me take you back to when you first met Vincent."

"Huh?" Before the blonde knew it, she was taken back to when she first met Vincent.

"_Hello?" the blonde called, walking down the spiral stairs. She got no answer. Once reaching the bottom, she had to fight a few monsters. From one of the monsters she gained a key. She used the key on one of the first doors she saw and opened it. Inside were a lot of coffins. She blinked and stared at the room. ". . .Whoa." was all she could say. One coffin caught her attention; the very middle one. She went over to it, attracted by its' shiny-ness. She lifted up the lid and nearly screamed when she saw that someone was in there. And he was alive! She backed away when she saw the crimson red eyes that looked up at her._

"_Who are you and what do you want?" The voice was monotone and, for a while, she didn't answer. Until the voice repeated it's self, only louder; like a shout. "Who are you and what do you want!?"_

"_I-I'm Rikku Highwind. I was just traveling and came upon this mansion. . ." She trailed off, realizing that she had started walking back towards the man in the coffin. Immediately, she stopped. The man had become quiet. "What about you? Who are you and what're you doing here?" She asked._

_The man was silent for a while, then sat up and spoke. "I am Vincent Valentine and why I'm here is none of your concern."_

"_But I'm curious!" Rikku protested._

"_Just go." Vincent said._

"_I'm not leaving until you tell me why you're here!"_

_Vincent sighed and looked at her. "I'm not sure you really want to know at your young age. . ."_

"_Then give me a summary!"_

"_I was experimented on, and slept in this coffin for thirty years. End of summary."_

_Rikku crossed her arms and frowned. "Not much of a summary. . ."_

"_I told you the summary now get out!"_

"_Now until you come with me."_

"_What?"_

"_You've slept down here for thirty years and you need to what's changed. So, you're coming with me."_

Soon, she was back in front of the three women. "Ho-How do you know my memories?" She stammered, sorta creeped out.

"You don't need to know or worry about that." Answered Aerith. Aerith held her hand out to Rikku. "Come and I'll show you when you first met AVALANCHE." Rikku blinked and reluctantly took her hand.

_Rikku walked up to Vincent and tugged on his cloak. Vincent looked down at her and tilted his head. "Hm?"_

"_Can I meet your friends?" She asked._

"_What?"_

"_Your friends. I wanna meet 'em."_

_Vincent nodded. "Alright."_

_Vincent led her out of the house and to Tifa's bar. He opened the door, and when he did, a deep brunette girl tackled him. Once Vincent got up, he frowned._

"_Don't tackle me Yuffie."_

"_Sorry." Yuffie said._

_Vincent just nodded and walked into the bar. Rikku stared at the people in the bar. There were two blondes, two brunettes and a really bug buff guy. Plus two children. The brunette with longer hair named everyone; Tifa, Cloud, Nanaki, Cid, Marlene, Denzel, Barret, Yuffie and she already knew Vincent. She said the names over in her head a few times to remember them. And she did. They also told her of a girl named Aerith who had been killed by a bad guy named Sephiroth._

"_I'm so sorry," she had said._

Once again, she was back with the three women. Her mom stepped towards here. "One more." She said and took her hand. Soon enough, another one of her memories was playing in front of her.

"_Vince?" Rikku looked up at him._

"_Hm?" He looked down at her._

"_Tell me about your family. I don't know that much about you."_

_Vincent chuckled lightly. "Tell me about yours first."_

_The blonde grimaced but nodded. "My mom died in a Machina rampage trying to save me. I was in the baby carrier, just set down right there 'cause she was talking to my dad. The ground started shaking and people were running, screaming, 'Rampage! They've gone on a rampage!' My mom saw the Machina and me in their path way. She ran over to me and took me out of the carrier and tossed me to my dad. Fortunately, he caught me. But my mom was still in the Machina's path. My dad told her to run, but before she could, they trampled right over her. . ." she stopped, fighting away the tears, and continued, "My dad took care of me 'till I was ten, then he started getting so busy that he couldn't spend time with me anymore. Gippal's mom, Christine, was the closest thing I had to a mom." She looked up, signaling that she was finished._

_Vincent was frowning, sympathy clear in his crimson red eyes. "I'm sorry. Any siblings?"_

"_One brother." She answered._

"_His name?"_

"_Brother." _

She found herself in the place she'd started in again. She blinked, her head tilted a bit. "Why're you guys showing me these memories?"

"Do you remember everyone now?" Aerith asked. Rikku nodded. "Good."

"But what do you mean, 'do you remember everyone now?'"

"You had a bit of a memory loss, sweetie." Her mom said.

"A bit as in. . .?"

"You forgot about all your friends and was made a Turk." Aerith answered.

". . .Whoa." Was all Rikku could say. All three brunettes nodded. "So, am I unconscious right now or something?" they nodded again. "When can I gain back consciousness?"

"Whenever you'd like to." Lucrecia said.

"I'd like to right now." Rikku confirmed.

"Alright," her mom nodded. "Go ahead, then."

Rikku hugged all three of them, thanked them and said her good-byes. Soon, she could see that she was in the medical room on the Celsius. Or was it the Highwind?

- - - - - - - - - -V- - - - - - - - -

Once he saw Rikku's eyes start to open, he got up and quietly left the room. Yuffie looked after him questioningly. He just shook his head and continued on his way out of the room. He hadn't planned on where he was going, he just didn't want to be the first one Rikku saw when she woke up. Yuffie called 'dibs' on that. Since he had no plan, he just went to the bridge of the Celsius – Yuna had insisted she stay on that airship since Rikku would be more familiar with it – and watched the clouds pass by slowly. Tifa came up behind him.

"She's awake, now, Vincent." She stated. Vincent just nodded. "Aren't you gonna go see her?"

"After everyone else has. Or she can come find me. I'll most likely be right here."

He saw Tifa nod and walk away out of the corner of his eye.

- - - - - - - - -R- - - - - - - - -

She wanted to sit up, but her body wouldn't listen. It would, though. Oh, it would. She narrowed her eyes and forced herself to get up. But when she did, a woman's hands pushed her back down.

"Whoa. Not so fast, Rikku. You hit her head pretty hard, so don't try any quick movements, okay?"

Rikku nodded slowly. She recognized the voice as Tifa's voice. She smiled up at her. Then Yuffie came into view. She smiled even wider.

"Help me sit up, then. I'm not a big fan of laying down."

Tifa smiled and nodded. Soon, Rikku was sitting upright.

"Mkay. So, mind telling me what happened?"

Yuffie tilted her head. "You remember us now?"

"Duh!" Rikku nodded. "Answer my question, though. Actually, no. Forget that question. Here's a different one; how long have I been unconscious?"

"Almost two days." Yuffie answered.

Rikku's jaw dropped. "Seriously!?" Tifa nodded. "Wow. . .what have I missed, then?"

"Tifa and Cloud are engaged!" Yuffie exclaimed.

Rikku squealed with delight and hugged Tifa. "Crongrats!"

Tifa laughed and hugged back. "Thank you."

Rikku let go of Tifa and looked at Yuffie. "Anything new happen to you, Yuffs?"

"Denzel's developed a crush on me. And my dad's nagging me about coming back to Wutai to get married and rule; all the _boring_ stuff." Yuffie smiled. Rikku laughed.

"Sounds like my dad, only without the whole getting married thing. Oh, heey; where's Vincent?"

"On the bridge." Tifa answered, pointing in the direction of the bridge.

"Okay. Do you know if he wants visitors?"

"He'll be fine."

"'Kay. Then I'll talk to you guys later, then. Bye!" Rikku got up and ran towards the bridge.


	7. About Time!

**A/N** – Hey, guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Been working on Hope It Gives You Hell more than this one. So, yeah. Sorry. But will a long chapter&MAYBE a hook-up make up for it? -Giggled- Enjoy!

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Vincent blinked as he faintly heard footsteps coming towards him. She was already coming for him? He'd thought she'd talk with Yuffie and Tifa longer. Oh well. She was getting closer now. Should he change his location or stay where he was? She'd be here in less than 2 minutes, so it was kinda too late now.

"Hey, Vince!" Rikku called. He turned around and looked at her, nodding towards her. "What're you doing over here? Have you seen the rest of the ship?"

Vincent shook his head. "No, I have not."

The blonde smiled and grabbed his wrist starting to pull him along with her. "Come on, then!" He obliged, slightly smiling, though it was hidden by the collar of his cloak. Rikku smiled brightly the whole time as she showed him around the ship, not once letting go of his wrist. After the tour, she took him upstairs to the beds and sat down on one, finally letting go of him. Some silence passed before she spoke,

"Hey, Vincent?"

"Hm?"

"Would it sound weird if I said that I saw Lucrecia while I was unconscious? 'Cause I did. . ."

Vincent was quiet for a bit, then responded. "No, it's not weird to say that. . .," He paused. "How'd you see her if you've never met her?"

Rikku shrugged. "I don't know. I saw my mom and Aerith, too. Lucrecia showed me when I first met you, Aerith showed me when I first met AVALANCHE, and my mom showed me when I first told you things about me. It was all to help gain my memory back, I think."

Vincent nodded and stayed silent, as he always did. Rikku opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Cid, her dad, who had said that they had landed in Nebelhiem (-Can never spell that right- x.x;). The blonde got up and descended the stairs, heading for the bridge, with Vincent following suit.

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"Rikku's gone again!" Tifa stated, looking quite worried. Vincent blinked and frowned, knowing exactly who was behind it. The whole gang started talking about it, and Rikku's dad was as white as a sheet. Vincent blinked once more. He was the last one who had been with her. And he lost her. Again. While everyone was distracted, Vincent slipped away, far, far away, heading straight towards the ShinRa building.

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Rikku grumbled as Hojo circled her, her arms crossed over her chest.

"This time," Hojo started, "I'll make sure you'll be nowhere near your friends. Sweet dreams, dearie." Rikku blinked as Reno came over and injected her with something. Before she knew it, everything was black.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Vincent used his old Turk ID to get in, heading straight towards Hojo's laboratory. A few people had tried to stop him, but ended up meeting either his fist or Cerberus before they could. Vincent threw open the doors of the laboratory, just in time to see an unconscious Rikku being carried away by Reno.

"Ah, I see you're here for the blonde," Hojo said from behind him. "Unfortunately, when she wakes up, she won't remember you."

In an instant, Vincent had Cerberus right at Hojo's head. He pulled the trigger two times, watching as the now dead scientist fell to the floor. He then went into the room Reno had gone into. Reno, who had heard the gunshots, had already left, leaving Rikku lying on the floor. She soon woke up, her eyesight blurry at first. When she could see clearly again, she stood up, startled by Vincent, who was now in front of her.

"Wh-Who are you?" Rikku asked, her eyes wide. Vincent said nothing and walked towards her. He stopped a few inches away from her, leaned down a bit, and pressed his lips to hers. Rikku's mind went blank, then fuzzy. After a few minutes, she remembered everything and started kissing back. Once the kiss was broken, Rikku slapped his arm.

"About time!" She smiled up at him. Vincent chuckled and kissed her again.

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**A/N** – Hmm. . . should I end it here? I probably will. But I'll also be posting an epilogue soon [:


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